Common name: Britton's Wild Petunia, Mexican Bluebell, Mexican Petunia
Ruellia simplex C.Wright APNI* Synonyms: Ruellia angustifolia (Nees) Lindau APNI*
Ruellia tweediana Griseb. APNI*
Description: Erect, rhizomatous perennial herb. Stems glabrous, nodes often ciliate.
Leaf blades lanceolate to narrowlly elliptic or linear, c. 5–16 cm long, 0.3–1.5 cm wide, entire, subulate to acute apically, glabrous with sessile glands on abaxial surface. Petioles short to subsessile and ciliate.
Flowers bourne in dichotomous cymes. Corollas white or blue to purple, 3–4 cm long, tubular at the base.
Fruit a capsule, narrowly oblong to lanceolate in shape, 2–3 cm long.
Flowering: predominantly in the spring and summer.
Distribution and occurrence: native of Mexico, the Caribbean and South America. In New South Wales recorded naturalising in North Lismore. Grows in areas that periodically flood, often near rivers or creeks.
NSW subdivisions: *NC
Other Australian states: *Qld
Text by A. Perkins; updated May 2017 (PGK)
Taxon concept: Australian Plant Census (accessed May 2017)
APNI* Provides a link to the Australian Plant Name Index (hosted by the Australian National Botanic Gardens) for comprehensive bibliographic data
***The AVH map option provides a detailed interactive Australia wide distribution map drawn from collections held by all major Australian herbaria participating in the Australian Virtual Herbarium project.
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